European Journal of Applied Engineering and Scientific Research
Abstract
Author(s): Aka Chidike Kanu, Akuma Oji
Oil and grease, temperature, pH, and heavy metal concentrations are some of the main quality parameters used in
the regulation of the discharge of oil and gas field produced water to the environment. The use of cheap biological
plant materials to selectively remove heavy metals from aqueous solutions is considered a potentially viable
alternative to expensive ion-exchange resins and semi-permeable membranes. However, a key requirement for the
efficient and cost-effective application of biosorption systems to industrial-scale wastewater treatment is the ability to regenerate and reuse biological sorbents used for the ion uptake. This paper presents a case study of the
application of biosorption to sample produced water from an oil field in the Niger Delta. The produced water was
characterised for both heavy metal concentration and other quality indices. Using batch adsorption system, with
raw and pre-treated sawdust as adsorbent, uptake of heavy metal ions was investigated. The analyses indicated that
the sorbent samples have significant sorption capacity for heavy metal ions. Applying classical equilibrium sorption
model and theory, it was observed that metal ion affinity as a function of reversibility of adsorption, was very
sensitive to biosorbent pre-treatment used. Based on this case study, a cheap and simple process for the tertiary
treatment of produced water is proposed. Further investigation is envisaged in the area of continuous-flow system
modelling and optimisation.
